Is
it legal to use cardboard caskets in Australia?
The use of cardboard coffins and
caskets is quite legal in all States and Territories in Australia. The various State Acts
vary in their level of detail regarding coffin requirements.
For example, in Western
Australian and Queensland, there is no mention of what constitutes suitable
coffins or caskets in their relevant Acts. In NSW, under their “Public
Health (Disposal of Bodies) Regulation 2002”, it only specifies that coffins
must “have a securely fitting lid”. In all other States, they request that coffins
are of “sufficient robust construction” and will not collapse when damp
etc.
Is it possible to decorate a casket
after purchase?
Yes, you can decorate the casket. Our
caskets can come in a basic white finish to help with drawing or painting
designs and messages on the casket.
Is it possible to obtain and store a
casket for a period of time before use or are there some legal requirements that
prevent this?
There is no legal restriction
regarding storing the casket until it is required. However, we would suggest
that you contact your funeral director to ensure they are happy to use the
cardboard casket. Some directors claim that they can’t use a cardboard casket
because it is not legal etc. Cardboard caskets are quite legal in all states and
territories in Australia. OnEarth caskets have been tested to meet the OH&S
standards of the funeral industry by the NSW testing authority – Testsafe
Australia. A copy of their report is located on our
downloads page.
Do OnEarth cardboard caskets
look like traditional funeral caskets?
A cardboard
casket has been called "cheap" and lacking in "dignity" by some people. However, OnEarth's
100% recycled cardboard
caskets maintain the dignity and respect associated with traditional wood-based caskets.
The innovative use of honeycomb cardboard provides exceptional strength and
rigidity to the casket.
Does a cardboard casket help in the
cremation process?
Some people have mistakenly
suggested that a wooden casket helps in the cremation process by providing fuel
for the cremation. A modern crematoria expends about 90kg of gas and burns at a
constant temperature of 850o C for about 3 hours to complete the
cremation process. This would suggest that in fact, some of this energy would be
used to “burn-away” the wooden casket to allow the cremation process to proceed.
If you would like to know more about
the cremation process, please visit the FAQs page at the
Adelaide (South Australia) Centennial Park Crematorium website: -
http://www.centennialpark.org/faq.asp
Is
it legal to use cardboard caskets in Australia?